A freight forwarder, Dr Eugene Nweke has called on government to revisit the policy on the ban on the importation of vehicles through land border saying that the policy has not really achieved its aims and objectives.
Nweke, who is also a former President of National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), disclosed this recently in a chat with Shipping Position Daily in Lagos.
He also said that the move to ensure uniformity of duties payable on imported vehicles appears to be a trade-boosting policy, the service should first, tackle the trade law compliance question which is a very big challenge confronting the revenue quest of the service.
He advised that the Customs should first domesticate and integrate fully all international rules guiding the industry.
According to him, “with regards to the plans by the Nigeria Customs Service to introduce a uniform value application on imported vehicles into the country, in conjuncture with ANLCA, permit me to submit that the move appears like a trade-boosting policy, but there are reservations to this effect. One of the greatest challenges confronting the smooth revenue quest of the Customs is the, trade laws compliance question”.
“I am rather thinking that the NCS should first, further domesticated and integrate fully the following international trade rules and compliance tool, in synchronization with the NICIS 2 objectives, by so doing reducing and addressing the inherent trade infractions”, he added.
He also maintained that the customs service should not limit its uniformity on duties to only imported vehicles, but should ensure effectiveness of some international rules guiding the industry.
Speaking on the ban on land importation of vehicles, he said that the policy which intends to promote locally-assembled vehicles calls for reappraisal, adding that the appraisal will help to dictate if the policy has achieved its main objective.
He argued that ‘’ the importance of this trade policy, that is the automotive industry policy, aimed to promote the increase of locally assembled vehicles in the country, thereby bringing down the sales value of new vehicles in the country and subsequently engendering the production of made-in-Nigeria or Nigeria brands of vehicles, calls for a reappraisal”.
He applauded the policy, saying that it has helped the Nigeria Customs Service in the area of revenue generation which is a function of increased cargo volume.
“However, suffice it to say that the policy has positively soared custom revenue, which is a function of high foreign exchange regime and the function of an increased cargo volume. Yes, the limited influx of imported vehicles via the land border, accounted for more vehicles coming through the sea frontier comparatively to years of non- ban’’.
He also maintained that the economic recession affected international trading activities a lot urging the government to revisit the policy.
“Terminal operators are not recording any extraordinary increased in cargo traffic, per say. This is because the economic recession hindered international trading activities. However the policy is a deliberate one that should be revisited with the eye of trade competition and sustained”, he concluded
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